The present invention relates generally to the field of container holders. More particularly, the present invention relates to container holders for use in motor vehicles.
Continuous moldline technology provides a continuous, smooth surface that can deform or stretch in a selective manner. This technology has been used in aircraft surfaces to reduce turbulence and drag due to gaps and discontinuities that arise in aircraft control surfaces upon movement of the surface. Individual moldline structure units provide distinct flexible surfaces that can be selectively activated to deform.
Motor vehicles frequently contain container holders that allow an occupant of the vehicle to secure a container, such as a beverage container, while the vehicle is in motion. A variety of these container holders have been proposed, but problems remain in the art. For example, due to their rigid structure, some molded container holders accept only containers of a specific size or range of sizes.
The present invention provides a container holder that is able to receive and secure a wide variety of container sizes and configurations by utilizing an active grasping system enabled by moldline units. The container holder incorporates one or more moldline structure units that deform to a point at which the container is secured. In a preferred embodiment, a container holder according to the present invention comprises a base for supporting the container, one or more moldline structure units that have flexible rods that can deform to a point at which an inserted container can be secured, and a sensor that detects the presence of a container on the base and activates an actuator of the moldline structure(s). The flexible rods of the moldline structure units can be adapted to heat and/or cool a container in the container holder.